The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-12

that they inherit our money. We need |
have no fears that our children will |
neglect to inherit our wealth. Our age |
overvalues money, and will do almost |
anything to get it. But our type of re-
ligion is not yet very well appreciated
by the masses. The people are not yet
well enough educated morally to under
stand it, and are too prejudiced to fairly
investigate it. Like every other blessing
too good to be popular at first, we must
work for God, and with God, on our
higher moral and spiritual plane until
the prejudiced world outgrows its preju.
dice.
In new countries in the West, Meth
odism grows rapidly. In the East,
Methodism is waning, and the most
popular land flourishing churches are
the Unitarian and the Universalist.
westward the star of empire takes
its way;'' and westward the star of
Universalism is slowly but surely TAX
ing its way. And the strongholds of
coming Universalism will be west of
the Alleghanies.
1t is our business, and our Fathers
business to make this church the most
Christian church in this city. But we
are not to see how Christian we can
make the church by close trimming.
Close moral trimming may be some
what consistent in other churches.
When other churches get bad man or
troublesome woman into the church,
they can seize the pruning knife of ex
communication and cut off the bad
member, and let it wither, believing
that God will put all such dead branches
into an everlasting fire. When other
churches send person to hell, they be-
lieve their work is done on that repro
bate soul, and they dismiss further res
possibility in the case.
But we do not work for God on this
plan. We are not to waste, or throw
away single human soul. One soul,
though it be depraved, is worth more
in the eyes of God and the holy angels
than hundred dead worlds. If we
excommunicate bad man from our
church because he is bad, what better
are we than others ? Partialists do
even the same. Besides, if we put a
man out of our church, or elbow him
one side, because he is hard timber to
work into the church, God will send us
after that man hereafter. If we are
to work for God till all souls are saved,
we ought to do all we can to save those
who come into our churches, or even
attend them, and in so doing Indirectly
ask US to try to save them. God will,
and does condemn every church, and
especially the Universalist church that
becomes so fastidious and holy that it
has spiritual ct every time so-called
or real bad man or woman attends it.
What better is such a church than an
old-time synagogue of Pharisees and
hypocrites believe many an ortho-
dox church will be sent out into the
outer darkness of the spiritual universe,
to hunt Up thsusst souls they have sent
to hell, and be kept there till they fin
ish up the work they abandoned on
earth, before the angels of heaven will
greet them with, "well done, good and
faithful servants" for their work will
not be well done till it is successfully
and triumphantly done.
Orthodox Christians, often think,
will not get into heaven hereafter so
soon and so easy as they believe. They
laugh at the Catholic purgatory, but if
God is just with them, and makes them
finish up the bad work they leave un-
done here, as they fatter themselves
they have thrown the responsibility on
Christ, they will go into heaven through
the very purgatory they now ridicule
And as Universalists we better see that
we are as thorough and faithful in
working for God as possible, or here
after we may find some of our bad work
coming back to us to be finished up,
before we can go forward any further
in heaven.
In working for God we constantly
work to improve man. Said Jesus to
the Jew, eff you get to the very altar
with your gift for God, and there re-
collect that you and your brother are
estranged, leave your gift before the al
tar, first be reconciled to your brother,
then go and offer your gift'. In other
words, we can not work with God if we
hate and despise mankind, even those
who have done wrong. A Universalist
church working for God, is not draw
ing room of saints and angels, but
spiritual hospital that welcomes every
sinner great and small, to put them un-
der Christian treatment and spiritual
healing.
TRUE MISSIONARY INSPIRATION.